Hakura the light chapter two
by maybe a good writer
Summary: secondo chapters :D lurvly n gory at the end still doesn't make much sense to people other than me.. but bear with it


Chapter 2

Tears slid down his cheeks, he had sworn never to play that song around other people, 'it was her song. Just hers.' He cried softly, his hands wringing his wet hair 'I swore.' He dragged himself to the bed and lay face up on it, ignoring the flickering lamp above his torso. He put one of his hands into his breast pocket and pulled out a picture. It was faded with age, but even then you could see the love put into the inking.

The picture depicted a young woman, no older than 16, posing quietly for the artist her dark hair was loosely held back by a hairpin and her kimono was embroidered in shades of blue with pink cherry blossoms. Her fair face swore a slight smile and her wide, grey eyes seemed to pierce Hyrusei as though they were truly there. 'My love, it seems I've broken my promise.' He sighed, letting the picture stop 'maybe this means it's time to move on. Maybe I've found happiness with Lucia.' Brushing away the last of tears, he rose, undoing his top he placed it on top of his cloak that's he'd discarded earlier. He removed his sword belt and let it hang on a hook in the wall and walked through the arch leading to the balcony, there he leant on the railing and stared out over the sleepy village. 'Nothing seems to happen here, which I suppose is why I even came here in the first place.' His head tilted as he slowly drifted to sleep.

A soft knocking startled him into wakefulness, 'now who could that be at this hour?' he grumbled as he went to answer, he was still mumbling as he opened it; but stopped as soon as he noticed who it was. Lucia looked at her feet with sad eyes; she was fiddling with her fingers behind her back, showing her nervousness. 'I'm sorry if I woke you.' She blushed as Hyrusei blinked in surprise 'I know I don't usually apologise for anything but thought it worthwhile this time.' Hyrusei stood there in confusion, she looked up at him 'why you're shivering! Let's go in at least.' She led him back into his room, and proceeded to close the balcony door. 'No wonder he's cold, leaving a door like this open.' She stopped; she shivered and turned to see Hyrusei sitting on his bed looking thoughtfully at her. She could bear it no longer 'I'm so sorry. I heard that song and at once knew. I feel so stupid. You must hate me. I could see then you were promised to another.' She choked, tears streaming down her face. Hyrusei got up, strode across to her and enveloped her in his arms.

'Its ok Lucia' he whispered 'yes I once was promised to another' she tried to break away but he held on 'but I am no longer, she passed away long ago. It has taken me a long time to accept it but I've moved on. I think only of you now.' Lucia stopped moving; she looked up into his brown eyes and saw he spoke the truth, her eyes welled up in happiness. Hyrusei led her back to his bed and lay down with her. 'I want to be with you Lucia, only you' he kissed her softly on the lips, she brushed them with her slender fingers and closed her eyes, 'and I want to be with you my little Rurouni' she whispered back, she pulled him close and kissed him passionately. Hyrusei didn't draw back; he drank in her sweet scent of rose petals and the faint lemon taste on her lips, he had found happiness again.

He woke to find an empty place beside him; he looked around and saw that Lucia's clothes were still where she'd thrown them earlier that night. 'She must have gone out on the balcony' he felt no breeze though 'very strange. Where could she be?' he pulled on his trousers, opening the double doors he walked out.

He stared in amazement. 'What in the name of Elincia is going on? There were small fires everywhere; on the roofs, in barrels, out of windows. A scream pierced the flames in the night; Hyrusei's head whipped round and stared down at a woman stumbling in the street. Her stomach had been ripped out and as she desperately tried to keep steady her entrails fell out onto the ground. His face twisted into a snarl, he whirled round, grabbed his sword belt and jumped off the railing into the street, he tried in vain to reach the lady before she fell but was to late. Her bloody corpse hit the ground with a thud. Hyrusei knelt next to the body 'how? How did this happen?' he cried as tears fell down his cheeks 'nothing happens here! Why this carnage?' he bowed his head, and raised a hand to close those empty staring eyes. A chuckle rang out from in front of him. He looked up and saw a man standing over him. He wasn't particularly impressive but the evil glint in his eyes was unmistakable, and the sneer on his lips was cruel. The man widened his sneer revealing yellow teeth 'crying like a baby are you?' his fingers ran along a wickedly sharp axe 'I'll stop you from crying. Permanently!' the man laughed and brought his axe down. Hyrusei rolled out of the way as the man raised his axe to strike again, Hyrusei stood up drawing one of his swords; the man hesitated as he saw the glint in Hyrusei's eyes. Hiding his hesitance behind another chuckle he said 'so the crybaby is gonna fight back?

Hyrusei hadn't moved but his snarled that had appeared deepened, his assailant's arm began to descent again but before the first muscle group had even begun to contract his eyes widened. Looking down he saw Hyrusei's blade run straight through him. Looking up he tried to speak but only blood came out, his body slumped off the blade and crumpled on the ground, Hyrusei flicked his blade to clean it of blood and replaced in his sheath that way he wouldn't get it caught on any wreckage. His eyes blazed in cold fury, stepping over the women; tears steaming on his cheeks from the heat he jumped back to his room and collected the few things he possessed, including the photograph. He jumped off the landing again, crouching to absorb the shock he laughed himself down the lane 'Lucia?' he shouted above the crackle of flames 'where are you?'

He passed houses with their doors broken and interiors trashed and bodies strewn about, they'd been cut down as they struggled to escape from whoever or whatever had attacked. 'That one man cannot have done this much damage' Hyrusei thought as he searched frantically 'there must be someone higher up controlling this' he turned at corner and stopped. A figure outlined in the flames stood in the middle of the street 'Lucia!' Hyrusei cried joyfully 'I've been looking everywhere for you! We've got to get out of here fast. Come on!' Lucia didn't move he realised that something was wrong, he approached her slowly. His eyes widened at the slit across her throat, her body was kept upright by being slashed to a stake driven into the ground, and blood covered the front of her corpse, staining her robes red, glistening in the glow. Something glinted, throwing himself back he narrowly missed three kunai in the back, they flew past him two clattering to the ground but one hit Lucia's corpse where her heart would have been, had it not be cut out. Hyrusei whirled round to stare at a figure perched on top of one of the neighbouring houses. The figure rose, scarf billowing in the sudden breeze 'so you are the Rurouni' suddenly he was before Hyrusei, who slashed at him. The man was now behind him, Hyrusei hadn't even seen him move 'now now' the man tutted 'let's not have any of that, after a had to go through the trouble of getting her away from you and in that position too' he pointed lazily towards Lucia. Hyrusei let out a strangled cry, he kicked out behind him and back slashed; again he missed. The man was siting on a crate 'if you keep doing that I will get seriously annoyed' he called out with a touch of amusement 'here's a little reminder to keep you in line' a blur and blood spurted.

Hyrusei fell to his knees, gripping one his right shoulder holding back the flow of blood, he gritted his teeth, swaying slightly he stood back up. 'I'm surprised you can stand' a soft laugh hit his ears 'an entire village and you are the only one that can stand after one hit from me. You deserve to die fighting me' a hiss of a blade unsheathing called out, challenging Hyrusei's sword. 'I'm behind you' the man whispered in Hyrusei's ear, whose eyes widened. The man's blade slid smoothly between his ribs, his hadn't even had time to speak. He dropped down to a crouch, katana clattering to the ground 'I couldn't protect you Lucia, I could never protect anything.' He fell over, blood spreading in a pool around him. He could hear faint laughter, bells chimed.

'_Come on Hyrusei' a girl laughed with glee as she reached the top of the hill 'I'm going to leave you behind if you don't keep up!' a boy caught up, cheeks red with exhaustion. 'I can't keep up with you if you prance around with no particular aim' he straightened his kimono 'I cant protect you if you're not near me, so slow down!' he girl looked disappointingly at him 'no! You speed up, what's the use of you if complain all the time?' the boy looked at her, tears starting to fall. The girl looked exasperated 'here you go again, crying as soon as you do something wrong. You must stop that' she went up to him and put her arms around him 'with no tears you can see clearly, and therefore protect better' he nodded wiping them away 'and I'll tell you something I haven't told anyone else. ' She leaned in putting her lips close to his ear and whispered 'persevere, never giving in. all ways keep fighting and I'll be proud of you. Then you can be my Guardian' he looked round at her 'seriously?' she nodded gravely, he set his jaw ' then I vow to never give in, always to fight to earn the right for you to be proud of me.' He laughed and the girl joined in. they run down the other side of the hill with bells chiming I the wind…_

Hyrusei was brought out of his memories by the feel of his own blood on his face 'never give in' he muttered, 'what's that?' the man looked at him in surprise 'you should be dead by now!'

'Never give in' Hyrusei muttered again, his eyes blazed, he stirred, tried to get up but only managed to rise to his knees.

'Never! Give! In!' he yelled. The air around him shimmered then turned white as beams of light erupted out of Hyrusei's wounds 'what's this?' the man stepped back raising his sword. The very air around them was warping, solidifying then liquefying instantly; it curled around, battering the walls of the surrounding houses. It began to spiral around Hyrusei and curved inwards.

The light faded leaving a steaming Hyrusei with wounds completely healed and irises of pure white, he stood gripping katana ripples of light running down it. 'How are you still alive?' the man shouted at him 'I killed you! I ran you through!'

Hyrusei turned to face him. Slowly he drew his second sword out of its sheath, 'I. Will not give in.' he said through gritted teeth 'you have taken away what I held most dear. Now you will pay.' He flew forwards his swords a blur. The man blocked the first attack but disappeared before the second attack could land. Hyrusei looked at the rooftops again at the man who was breathing heavily. 'Who is this man?' the man though furiously, he grinned 'impressive. No one gets up after being stabbed through the stomach, the pain is just too great' he raised his katana 'you deserve to know who kills you, and so let we introduce myself. I am Kai leader of the Black Band' he chuckled 'now lets see how you do against this!' he shimmered then disappeared again, Hyrusei's eyes closed. 'Well this is interesting' he brought his sword down behind him blocking Kai's trust 'don't underestimate me' Kai whispered he pulled back and spun on the spot. Three kunai shot out but Hyrusei knocked them down, only to receive a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Kai stopped spinning ' how did you like first spin? Its my first of three attacks in my Jin S'ui – whirling blades' Hyrusei pushed himself up 'sorry Kai. But I don't have time now to se all your spins. I'll just have to finish this quickly' his hand drifted to his other katana. Kai's eyes widened in fear, how could he have forgotten the other sword 'do you think that'll work against me?' he started to spin. Hyrusei grinned ' I told you I don't have time to watch all your spins. In a second his sheathed katana was out and crossed with Kai's, and the other driven up through Kai's torso and lodged in the neck.

Kai's let his katana fall with a clatter, he had been defeated, he tried to speak but only coughed up blood. Hyrusei leaned closer and whispered into Kai's ear. 'You know for all your fancy spinning, disappearing and despite the fact you repeatedly stabbed me, I could see your every step and move. You could have never defeated me, it just took to realise what I was.' Kai coughed once more, his eyes misted over and his body stiffened, then relaxed as death embraced him. Pulling his blades free Hyrusei let him fall, 'I won't cry' he told himself 'I've cried to much these past few days, the time has passed now all I need I resolve.' He sheathed his katana, looking up into the night sky rimmed with fire he let out a ferocious cry 'I will avenge you all!' He cast his eyes around dimly he was aware of building collapsing and corpses slowly roasting in the heat, Hyrusei slowly made his way to the city gates, ignoring the wooden supports of building falling in his path he carried on right out the town.

He saw a group of people huddling together he approached them, he recognised Goran among them, soot stained as he was. Goran raised his head as Hyrusei reached him, his eyes were wet 'have you seen Lucia?' he gripped Hyrusei's shirt 'she was with you where is she?' Hyrusei stared intently at him; he shook his head 'Goran, she is no more.' Goran's eyes widened 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry' Goran's eyes shut he pushes Hyrusei away 'it's your fault she died, filling her head with your ideas beyond her' Hyrusei's mouth tightened 'got away from me' Goran cried 'I never want to see you again!' Hyrusei stepped back 'if that's what you want Goran, you'll never have to see my face again. I counted you as a friend, as a would be father in law but such is fate' he turned around 'good bye then' his foot raised; and disappeared leaving nothing but a dust trail, memories and sadness.


End file.
